Son of Dr. Jekyll is interesting, not because it's a particularly great film (it isn't), but because of the way the monster transformation (singular - there was only one) was achieved. Hayward (Jekyll) changes without any camera stopping, lap dissolves, etc. because the Hyde makeup is painted on in red greasepaint, then filtered lighting (or a filtered camera lens) works an effect only possible in black and white.

The technique had been around for many years in film. In the 1927 silent Ben-Hur, lepers were healed this way. Here is a clip from the 1932 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Fredric March:

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And from 1937's Sh! The Octopus:

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Curious as to how it's all done? Check this out:

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The red lighting cancels out the red makeup, and when the lighting changes, the blue light and the red makeup mix together and you get a blackish-purple instead of red. And remember, that all this would be seen in black & white, not color.


Fascinating stuff.


Signor V.

"For me, there's only my wife..."

"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"

"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"

"It was a grass harp... And we listened."

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"

"No. Saints and poets, maybe... they do some."